Monkeying around: German zoo says popular primate moving on after fathering more than 50 kids

FILE - In tis picture taken Jan. 28, 2014 male squirrel monkey Purus sits on a branch in his enclosure at the Bergzoo in Halle, Saale, Germany, The German zoo says it’s sending the monkey Casanova to a new home in the Czech Republic over fears he’s produced so many offspring with its two-dozen female monkeys that he may soon start having children with his own relatives. Halle Zoo monkey keeper Jutta Heuer told The Associated Press on Tuesday Feb. 11, 2014 her 25 female adult squirrel monkeys had rejected all other males and have only been mating with 10-year-old Purus, who arrived in 2009. (AP Photo/dpa,Waltraud Grubitzsch)
(The Associated Press)

BERLIN – A German zoo says it's sending a monkey Casanova to the Czech Republic because he's produced so many offspring that he may soon start having children with his own relatives.

Halle Zoo monkey keeper Jutta Heuer told The Associated Press Tuesday that her 25 female adult squirrel monkeys had rejected all other males and have only been mating with 10-year-old Purus, who arrived in 2009.

He's now sired about 50 offspring — some of which went to other zoos, but many are now reaching the age of sexual maturity. Heuer says that could cause problems like genetic defects if they were to breed.